1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a multi-screen display system and method, which enables the simultaneous display of image data inputted from a plurality of image sources on a display unit.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years, image data supplied from a DTV (digital television) and a DVD (digital video disk), a PC personal computer and the like are increasingly displayed on a multi-screen of a large display unit such as a liquid crystal projector and a plasma display. Accordingly, there is the necessity of displaying a combination of image data supplied from different image media on this large display unit, which is regarded as a central device for multimedia, in homes. Therefore, the image display system needs to have a function of displaying a plurality of images at the same time. A currently proposed large display unit has a function of arbitrarily arranging and displaying, on a screen, the image data supplied from a plurality of different media connected thereto to thereby display a plurality of image data at the same time. More specifically, a multi-screen display system is constructed by using the large display unit as a multi-screen viewer.
If, however, PC image data are displayed on the screen of the above-mentioned conventional multi-screen display system, the image data should be edited and changed by operating a cursor or mouse of a PC. This is because a cursor generating means and an application control are provided inside the PC. If a broadcast image of an interactive integrated digital broadcasting system, etc. is laid out as a part of a display on a multi-screen, the resolution of the image is converted to a resolution intended by a broadcasting station and then an action must be taken to change the display on the broadcasting screen. This is because currently-expected broadcast images construct a menu screen with the resolution intended by the broadcasting station. If the user converts the resolution to display the multi-screen, an interactive selection and the like may become impossible. For this reason, the conventional multi-screen display system is not capable of performing the unified control of different media by using the large display unit as a central control means. In other words, a user interface cannot be operated easily.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a multi-screen display system and method that realizes the unified control relating to each image on the multi-screen.
The above object can be accomplished by providing a multi-screen display system comprising input means for inputting images from a plurality of image sources, display means having a multi-screen capable of displaying the inputted images, image source determining means for determining a type of each of the image sources, layout determining means for determining a layout of display regions for arranging the inputted images on the multi-screen of the display means, cursor control means for generating a multi-screen control cursor for inputting commands on the multi-screen and controlling operation thereof, and display region identifying means for identifying a display region on the multi-screen of the display means in which the multi-screen control cursor is positioned, and wherein the cursor control means determines a role of the multi-screen control cursor in the display region where the multi-screen control cursor is positioned according to a type of an image source of an image displayed in the display region, and the cursor control means controls generation of the multi-screen control cursor and the operation thereof so that the multi-screen control cursor can play the determined role.
This enables the unified control of the images on the multi-screen.
The multi-screen display system is preferably characterized in that the plurality of image sources includes at least one image source providing an interactive operational environment, and the cursor control means sets a role of the multi-screen control cursor corresponding to the interactive operational environment when an image source of an image displayed in the display region where the multi-screen control cursor is positioned provides the interactive operational environment. This enables the control to be achieved on the multi-screen suitably for the interactive operational environment.
The multi-screen display-system is preferably characterized in that the at least one image source providing the interactive operational environment has a cursor generation controlling function of generating a cursor on the at least one image source and controlling operation of the cursor, and the cursor control means has control transfer means operable if the image source of the image displayed in the display region where the multi-screen control cursor is positioned has the cursor generation controlling function, for transferring control relating to the generation and operation of the multi-screen control cursor to the cursor generation controlling function of the image source having the cursor generation controlling function so that the multi-screen control cursor is switched to the cursor generated by the image source having the cursor generation controlling function. The edition and change of the images at the image source side having the cursor generation controlling function can be performed on the multi-screen, not at the image source side.
The image source having the cursor generation controlling function is an information processing apparatus including a personal computer and a workstation.
The multi-screen display system is preferably characterized in that the image source having the cursor generation controlling function is provided with a serial bus, and the cursor control means has a serial bus connected to the serial bus of the image source, and the control transfer means reconstructs the connection of the serial bus of the cursor control means and the serial bus of the image source while the image source is operating, and then transfers the control relating to the generation and operation of the multi-screen control cursor to the cursor generation controlling function of the image source.
Therefore, the control relating to the generation and operation of the cursor can easily be transferred to the cursor generation controlling function of the image source.
The serial bus of the image source and the serial bus of the cursor control means are universal serial buses or serial buses conforming to an IEEE 1394 standard.
The multi-screen display system is preferably characterized in that the plurality of image sources includes at least one image source having a cursor generation controlling function of controlling the cursor control means to generate an interactive cursor for moving and changing exclusively interactive select buttons, and if the image source of the image displayed in the display region where the multi-screen control cursor is positioned has the cursor generation controlling function, the cursor control means turns off a display of the multi-screen control cursor to generate the interactive cursor according to the cursor generation controlling function of the image source and controls operation of the interactive cursor. Therefore, image sources can be changed on the multi-screen.
The multi-screen display system is preferably characterized in that the plurality of image sources includes at least one image source having a cursor generation controlling function of controlling the cursor control means to generate the multi-screen control cursor, and if the image source of the image displayed in the display region where the multi-screen control cursor is positioned has the cursor generation controlling function, the cursor control means generates the multi-screen control cursor according to the cursor generation controlling function of the image source and changes size, color and movement amount of the multi-screen control cursor according to a resolution of the display region where the image of the image source having the cursor generation controlling function is displayed. The cursor can be operated in a comfortable manner suitable for the screen.
The image source having the cursor generation controlling function provides a digital broadcasting according to an integrated digital broadcasting system.
The multi-screen display system is preferably characterized in that if the multi-screen control cursor on the multi-screen is located in a display region of the digital broadcasting according to the integrated digital broadcasting system, the cursor control means converts a position of the multi-screen control cursor to a position desired by a provider of the integrated digital broadcasting system, and wherein if the converted position of the multi-screen control cursor is within a region of a button property of changing interactive scenes, the cursor control means takes an action to change scenes according to a scenario of the digital broadcasting when received. Therefore, the scenes can be changed without fail.
The above object can be accomplished by a multi-screen display method which comprises a receiving step of receiving images from a plurality of image sources, displaying the received images on a multi-screen of one display unit, an image source type determining step of determining a type of each of the image sources, a layout determining step of determining a layout of display regions, for arranging the received images on the multi-screen of the display unit, a cursor generating step of generating a multi-screen control cursor for inputting commands on the multi-screen and operating the multi-screen control cursor, a display region identifying step of identifying a display region on the multi-screen of the display means in which the multi-screen control cursor is positioned, and a cursor control step of determining a role of the multi-screen control cursor in the display region where the multi-screen control cursor is positioned according to a type of an image source of an image displayed in the display region, and controlling generation of the multi-screen control cursor and operation thereof so that the multi-screen control cursor can play the determined role.
This enables the unified control of the images on the multi-screen.
The multi-screen display system is preferably characterized in that the plurality of image sources includes at least one image source providing an interactive operational environment, and the cursor control step sets a role of the multi-screen control cursor corresponding to the interactive operational environment when an image source of an image displayed in the display region where the multi-screen control cursor is positioned provides the interactive operational environment. This enables the control on the multi-screen suitably for the interactive operational environment.
The multi-screen display method is preferably characterized in that the at least one image source providing the interactive operational environment has a cursor generation controlling function of generating a cursor on the at least one image source and controlling operation of the cursor, and if the image source of the image displayed in the display region where the multi-screen control cursor is positioned has the cursor generation controlling function, the cursor control step transfers control relating to the generation and operation of the multi-screen control cursor to the cursor generation controlling function of the image source having the cursor generation controlling function so that the multi-screen control cursor is switched to the cursor generated by the image source having the cursor generation controlling function. The edition and change of the images at the image source side having the cursor generation controlling function can be performed on the multi-screen, not at the image source side.
The image source having the cursor generation controlling function is an information processing apparatus including a personal computer and a workstation.
The multi-screen display method is characterized in that the image source having the cursor generation controlling function is provided with a serial bus, and the cursor control means has a serial bus connected to the serial bus of the image source, and wherein the cursor control step comprises reconstructing the connection of the serial bus of the cursor control means and the serial bus of the image source while the image source is operating, and then transferring the control relating to the generation and operation of the multi-screen control cursor to the cursor generation controlling function of the image source. Therefore, the control relating to the generation and operation of the cursor can easily be transferred to the cursor generation controlling function of the image source.
The serial bus of the image source and the serial bus of the cursor control means are universal serial buses or serial buses conforming to an IEEE 1394 standard.
The multi-screen display method is characterized in that the plurality of image sources includes at least one image source having a cursor generation controlling function of controlling the cursor control means to generate an interactive cursor for moving and changing exclusively interactive select buttons, and wherein if the image source of the image displayed in the display region where the multi-screen control cursor is positioned has the cursor generation controlling function, the cursor control step turns off a display of the multi-screen control cursor to generate the interactive cursor according to the cursor generation controlling function of the image source and controls operation of the interactive cursor. Therefore, change of the image sources and the like can be performed on the multi-screen.
The multi-screen display method is characterized in that the plurality of image sources includes at least one image source having a cursor generation controlling function of controlling the cursor control means to generate the multi-screen control cursor, and wherein if the image source of the image displayed in the display region where the multi-screen control cursor is positioned has the cursor generation controlling function, the cursor control step generates the multi-screen control cursor according to the cursor generation controlling function of the image source and changes size, color and movement amount of the multi-screen control cursor according to a resolution of the display region where the image of the image source having the cursor generation controlling function is displayed. Therefore, the cursor can be operated in a comfortable manner suitable for the screen.
The image source having the cursor generation controlling function provides a digital broadcasting according to an integrated digital broadcasting system.
The multi-screen display method is preferably characterized in that if the multi-screen control cursor on the multi-screen-is located in a display region of the digital broadcasting according to the integrated digital broadcasting system, the cursor control step converts a position of the multi-screen control cursor to a position desired by a provider of the integrated digital broadcasting system, and if the converted position of the multi-screen control cursor is within a region of a button property of changing interactive scenes, the cursor control step takes an action to change scenes according to a scenario of the digital broadcasting when received. Therefore, the scenes can be changed without fail.